K. Nutters Close, Grantchester

Key information

Open Sep 30th & Oct 6thType New BuildBuilt 2012

Key features

Air source heat pump

Underfloor heating

Integrated solar PV and solar thermal

Computer controlled lighting system

Use of natural materials, particularly wood and slate

This beautiful self-build family home in Grantchester is the product of architect Michael and author Pippa’s imagination and yearning for home. Built with a William Morris sensibility for form and function the house is individually crafted but also full of modern eco technology. The result is a creative, low-energy modern home with a timeless look that fits in well with the vernacular architecture of Rupert Brooke’s village. It feels like there will always be honey still for tea.

The living/dining room is the hub of the house and the space from where all the main rooms and the front and back garden are accessed. The central staircase unites the ground and the first floor, and the large north facing roof light draws daylight into the staircase and consequently the rest of the house. With glazed sliding folding doors leading to the back garden, the loggia and patio become an extension to this space, to create an open, light airy yet cosy, intimate and flexible space. Architecture is the creation of qualities of space. In this case the eye, mind and body moves easily around the house and between the house and garden